Soviet Photography from the 20s and 30s at the Fotomuseum in Zurich. There's also good(ish) collection of Rodchenko photos at Stanford University. However, there are more images and information at this fascinating history of the Soviet 35mm camera, which mentions Rodchenko's popularisation of the original Leica. Imports were ceased and Stalin demanded that a Soviet camera industry be created. The development of the country's own 35mm cameras took place in the bizarre surroundings of a youth camp, the Dzerzhinsky Labour Commune in Kharkov (the Ukrainian capital), which was run by the secret police.

Early Soviet cameras included the the Fotokor, not 35mm at all (Fotokor in detail). From 1932 onwards, the curious FED factory simply copied contemporary Leicas (not in English, but lovely pictures, see also these vintage camera ads). And thus was born the FED-1, a very competent imitiation of the Leica II (although I don't think Leica ever used plastic).

Snark Hunting, 'Naming and Branding in Popular Culture'. We went off on one about branding last week, and this site is filled with numerous examples of corporations (or rather, clued up individuals within corporations) doing small things well enough to improve the overall perception of the company. I suppose that's called branding. It should just be called doing your job, though.

We’ve received Issue One of Strange Attractor and it’s wonderful / Slick photography at Exposur3 / Reblog - one to keep an eye on, although the endless cycle of links gets a bit incestuous at times (and we're as guilty as hell on that count) / and where it got us, a weblog.